Toggle actuated sliding jaw wrench



March 4, 1947. w. PETERSEN TOGGLE ACTUATED SLIDING JAW WRENCH Filed May21, 1945 V INVENTQR. T Vz 'llz'am Pafersen Patented Mar. 4, 1947 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE TOGGLE ACTUATED SLIDING JAW WRENCH WilliamPetersen, De Witt, Nebr.

Application May 21, 1945, Serial No. 594,978

Claims. 1 This invention relates to wrenches of a type including a stublever coacting with an operating handle in'a manner to effect a fineadjustment of the jaws of the wrench with respect to the work, and it isprimarily an object of the invention to provide a wrench of this kindwherein the opposed or working faces of the jaws remain in parallelismat all times throughout the range of relative adjustment of the jaws.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a wrench of a vise-griptype which can be employed in clampin objects of any thickness withinthe range of the wrench with full jaw contact.

An additional object of the invention is to prcvide a vise-grip'wrenchincluding two relatively movable jaws having their opposed or workingfaces at all times parallel with each other, where by is substantiallyeliminated slippage from the work should there occur any slight movementof the jaws and whereby the same pressure will be maintained on thework.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in thecombination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved wrenchwhereby certain important advantages are attained, as will behereinafter more fully set forth.

In order that my invention may be better understood, I will now proceedto describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Fi ure l is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of awrench constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, asecond position of the parts being indicated by broken lines;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 ofFigure 1; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line l4of-Figure 1.

In the embodiment of the invention as illus trated in the accompanyingdrawings, the main handle member H is of channel formation of de sireddimensions and configuration. The forward end portion of this handlemember H carries a fixed jaw I having its outer face substantiallystraight in ide elevation although said face is transversely corrugated,as at a, to facilitate its I gripping action.

The handle memberH at a desired point inwardly of the jaw i has its sidewalls 2 laterally extended, as at 3, in a direction beyond the jaw l andthe outer edges b of said extended portions 3 are substantially at rightangles to the face of the jaw I. These extended portions 3 are pressedinwardly into contact one with the other.

The back or intermediate wall 4 of the handle member H between the innerend of the jaw l and the edges b of the extended portions 3 is open orcut out to provide a slot 5 through which freely passes the outerportion of a slide bar 6 which rides upon and along the adjacentedges 1) of the extended portions 3.

The inner end portion of the slide bar 6 is provided with an outwardlydisposed arm l and carried by said arm I and the adjacent portion of Vthe slide bar 6 is a jaw 8 having its outer or working facesubstantially flat although grooved, as at c, to facilitate its grippingaction.

Disposed through the inner portion of the slide bar 6 transverselythereof, and herein disclosed as extending partially into the arm I, isa slot 9 through which passes a pivot pin is carried by the outerrestricted end portions of the plates ll disposed at opposite sides ofthe slide bar ii and the extended portions 3 of the handle member H. Theouter or wide end portion of the plates II are pivoted, as at E2, to theinner parts of the extended portions 3.

Positioned within the slot 9 between the inner end thereof and the pivotpin i0 is a tension spring I4 which provides effective means formaintaining the slide bar 6 in effective engagement with the edges b andthus holds the jaw 8 against falling forward as the slide bar 6 travelsinwardly to move the jaw 8 toward the fixed jaw l upon proper rockingmovement of the plates II.

The outer portions of the plates H at their bases or inner extremitiesare pivotally connected, as at iii, to an end portion of an elongatedlever L which constitutes an operating handle, This lever L, as hereindisclosed, is also of channel formation and pivotally engaged betweenthe side walls in thereof at a required location is an end portion of astub lever or fulcrum bar ll. This lever bar ii is of required lengthand extends inwardly between the side walls 2 of the handle member H atthe rear portion thereof.

The end portion of the stub lever or fulcrum bar ll extending betweenthe side walls 2 of the handle member H is transversely enlarged, as atit, to provide a cross-head extending beyond opposite sides thereof. Theside walls 2 of the handle member H at the outer extremity of the memberare pressed to provide a sleeve H which is internally threaded and saids de walls 2 immediately adjacent to and in advance of the sleeve IQ fora desired distance forwardly of the handle member H are pressedinwardly, as at 26, with the outer free edges of said portions spacedapart a distance less than the length of the enlargement or cross-headl8 and thus provide means to maintain the stub lever or fulcrum bar I!in eiiective position at all times during the use of the wrench or, inother words, to prevent the stub lever or fulcrum bar i? from droppingaway from the handle member H. The pressedin side portions 28 of thehandle member H closely conform to the enlargement or head l8 and thusretain the cross head or enlargement [8 in close contact with the backor intermediate wall 4.

The cross-head or enlargement 18 has direct contact with the outerextremity of a reduced pin 2! extending outwardly and axially from theinner end of a shank 22 threading through the sleeve l9, The head orenlargement i8 is maintained in contact with the pin 2! of the shank 22under the action of a retractile spring 23. One end portion of thisspring 23 is secured, as at 2 to a pin 25 carr ed by the inner or baseportions of the plates ii and bridging the space therebetween and at itsopposite extremity, as at 2%, to the intermediate wall 5 of the handlemember H at a desired distance outwardly of the handle member H withrespect to the plates H.

In view of the foregoing, it is believed to be readily apparent that thepresent invention provides a wrench of a vise-grip type wherein theworking jaws have substantially fiat op osed working faces which aremaintained parallel at all times within the range of movement of the law5 with respect to the other jaw. This is of particular importance byhaving the working races of the jaws parallel at all times. the wrenchcan be used for clamping objects of any thickness within the range ofthe wrench with full jaw contact.

The wrench also provides further advantage in minim zing slipping fromthe work as the result of any slight movement of the jaws along thework.

Furthermore, with the present tool, when the same is used as a plier,the adjustment is always correct.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a wrenchconstructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adaptedfor use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may beassembled and operated.

I claim:

1. A wrench comprising a handle member formed of sheet metal and bentinto channel formation. a fixed jaw carried by one end portion of thehandle member, the side walls of the handle member inwardly of the fixedjaw be ng laterally extended, said extended portions being inwardlyofiset for contact one with the other, said extended portions havingtheir outer edges substantially straight, a. slide bar riding on saidsubstantially straight edges of the extended portions, an outwardlydisposed jaw carried by an end portion of said slide bar, a plate havingone end portion p-ivotally connected with the handle member and anopposite end portion operatively engaged with the slide bar wherebyrocking movement of the plate will impose rectilinear movement to theslide bar, a retractile member operatively engaged with the plate andwith the handle member, and means for rocking the plate.

2. A wrench comprising a handle member formed of sheet metal and bentinto channel forof the handle member, the side walls of the handlemember inwardly of the fixed j aw being laterally extended, saidextended portions being inwardly offset for contact one with the other,said. extended portions having their outer edges substantially straight,a slide bar riding on said substantially straight edges of the extendedportions, an outwardly disposed jaw carried by an end portion of saidslide bar, a plate having one end portion pivotally connected with thehandle member and an opposite end portion operatively engaged with theslide bar whereby rocking movement of the plate will impose rectilinearmovement to the slide bar, a retractile member operatively engaged withthe plate and with the handle member, an operating handle pivotallyconnected with the end portion of the plate pivotally engaged with thehandle member for swinging movement toward or from the handle member,and a stub lever pivotally connected at one end portion to the operatinghandle, the opposite end. portion of the stub lever having operativeengagement with the handle member to provide means whereby, when theoperating handle is moved toward the handle member, the plate will berocked in a direction to move the jaw carried by the slide bar towardthe fixed jaw of the handle member.

3. A Wrench comprising a handle member formed of sheet metal and bentinto channel formation, a fixed jaw carried by one end portion of thehandle member, the side walls of the handle member inwardly of the fixedjaw being laterally extended, said extended portions being inwardlyoffset for contact one with the other, said extended portions havingtheir outer edges substantially straight, a slide bar riding on saidsubstantially straight edges of the extended portions, an outwardlydisposed jaw carried by an end portion of said slide bar, the outerportion of the slide bar being provided thereacross with a slot, aplate, means for pivotally connecting an end portion of the plate withthe handle member, a part carried by the opposite end portion of theplate and extending within the slot, a spring within the. slotinterposed between the part of the plate and the inner end of the slotfor maintaining the slide bar in contact with the straight edges of theextended portions of the handle member, whereby means is provided tohold the jaw of the bar from fal ing forward, and means oper'ativelyengaged with the plate and with the handle member for rocking the platefor sliding the bar.

4. A wrench comprising a handle member, a fixed jaw carried by one endportion of the handle member, the handle member having a guide slotrearwardly of the fixed jaw, a slide bar carried by the handle member insaid guide slot, an outstanding jaw carried by the slide bar forcoaction with the fixed jaw of the handle memher, the handle memberhaving inset side faces rearwardly of said slot, a pair of substantiallytriangular plates in spaced parallel relation and each having a cornerdisposed against an inset side face, a pivot between the said corners ofthe triangular plates and the handle member, each triangular platehaving a forwardly directed corner, a pivot between the forwardlydirected corner of each plate and the slide bar for operating the barupon rocking the plates, an operating handle pivotally engaged betweenthe third corners of the triangular plates, a stub lever operativelyengaged with the operating handle and with the handle member to rock thetriangular plates upon movement of the operating handle toward thehandle member to force the jaw of the slide bar toward the fixed jaw ofthe handle member, and a tension spring attached at one end to thetriangular plates and interposed between the triangular plates and thehandle member for rocking the rigid member in a direction to move thejaw of the slide bar away from the fixed jaw of the handle member.

5. A wrench comprising a handle member formed of sheet metal and bentinto channel formation, a fixed jaw carried by one end portion of thehandle member, the side walls of the handle member inwardly of the fixedjaw being laterally extended, said extended portions being inwardlyoffset for contact one with the other, said extended portions havingtheir outer edges substantially straight, a slide bar riding on saidsubstantially straight edges of the extended portions, an outwardlydisposed jaw carried by an end portion of said slide bar, a plate havingone end portion pivotally connected with the handle member and anopposite end portion operatively engaged with the slide bar wherebyrocking movement of the plate will impose rectilinear 6 movement to theslide bar, a rectractile member operatively en aged with the plate andwith the handle member, and means for rocking the plate, the back wallof the handle member between the fixed jaw and the substantiallystraight edges of the extended edges of the handle member being providedwith an opening to allow free movement therethrough of the end portionof the slide bar remote from the jaw carried by said slide bar.

WILLIAM PETERSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

, UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

